Care to Wager?
by Silindro
Summary: Complete. Strip Sabacc. Han’s gambling strategies play horribly to his favor. Leia endures and enjoys the consequences.
1. Propositions

Strip Sabacc. Han's gambling strategies play horribly to his favor. Leia endures and enjoys the consequences.

_No, you DO NOT have to know the rules of Sabacc to understand this story. It'll all be simply explained in two or three sentences that a kindergartener could understand. Well, a smart kindergartener._

_If you type in 'Sabacc' on Google and then click on the Casino Sabacc game, you can play and figure it out for yourself._

_Besides, this story isn't highly concentrated on the game, just on the wagering and loss of clothing and dignity._

_That's right, I'm a dedicated author, I learned how to play Sabacc just so I could write this story._

**Care to Wager?** -----

_Chapter One: Propositions_

"Han!" General Han Solo heard the voice behind him and immediately slowed his swift pace to a slow walk. His brother-in-law, Luke Skywalker, was just behind him.

"You're sure in a hurry, anything special going on tonight?" Luke asked, coming up to walk beside him.

"Not much, just a little game of cards."

"Sound like fun, care if I join?"

"Not tonight, kid, it's an adults-only game," he answered smugly.

Luke took instant offense to the comment, but his curiosity got the better of him. "Adults only? Just what are you planning on playing?"

"A harmless game of Sabacc."

Han's self-satisfied grin gave Luke the impression that the stakes on the 'harmless game of Sabacc' were going to be much higher than what his sister was aware of. The smuggler's intentions were anything but good and Luke knew that Leia was in for trouble of the best kind.

The two men boarded the lift where they were destined for different floors. Luke got off on twenty-seven, while Han's apartment was on forty-two.

"Keep it clean," Luke smirked as the doors closed behind him.

The rest of the ride had Han tapping his foot impatiently through fifteen floors. The lift took forever, and by the time he got to his door, he was ready to do away with his plans for the evening. Taking a deep breath helped him regain some self control, and he walked into the apartment looking calm and composed.

"Leia?"

Han threw his jacket on the back of the sofa and grabbed the mail off the coffee table to see if anything was his.

"I'm in the bedroom!" Came the response, muffled by a half-shut door. Tossing the junk mail into the trash bin, Han followed the sound of his wife's voice.

He found her laid out on the bed, a stack of paperwork on the nightstand nearby and a stack of paperwork laying in her lap. She had a pen tucked in her hair and a look of concentration on her face. When Han walked in she looked up and gave him a smile, but didn't set aside her work.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"Well it started off alright," he sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Then I got to meet the new recruits."

Leia chuckled to herself. "That bad, huh?"

"Nothing will ever be as bad as the Rogue Squadron, but these guys look like they might come close."

"Oh the Rogue Squadron wasn't that bad," Leia chided.

"You're right, they weren't bad. They were terrible."

"Well not everyone is as wall-behaved as you," she said.

"I'm about the most well behaved guy you're ever gonna meet," he assured.

"I have to admit that you conducted yourself very well at the last New Republic gala. You were a perfect gentleman."

"I don't do charity balls voluntarily, y'know. Besides, I knew that I was gonna get a treat when it was all over with," he leered.

"It wasn't a charity ball, it was a celebratory feast to welcome the ambassador of Corellia to Coruscant. You should have been more enthusiastic about it since it _is_ your home planet."

"Sweetheart, I wouldn't have cared if my own birthmother was the ambassador to Corellia. All I wanted was to get you out of that dress and into some sheets."

"Is that all you think about, sex?"

"Yes, which brings me to my next proposition. How about a game of Sabacc?"

"Somehow sex and Sabacc weren't exactly two things that came smashing together in my mind."

"Then obviously you've never played Strip Sabacc."

"I don't think I've ever _played_ Sabacc. With or without my clothes on."

"Well unless you plan on getting naked real fast the first thing you'll need to do is put on some socks…"

* * *

The living room table was perfectly suited for their mischievous little game of cards. Han sat on one side of the table while Leia sat on the side next to him with only a corner to separate. For wagering purposes Leia had added a long, flowing jacket and a pair of socks on her husband's advice. Han had discarded his vest and thrown his shoes in the corner.

"Well, hotshot, how do you play?"

Han divided a very large deck of playing cards in half, expertly shuffling them as he gave Leia a quick run-through of the game.

"There are seventy-six cards in a Sabacc deck, sixty cards have ranked cards in four suits, and there are two types of eight different special cards. Follow me?"

She nodded.

"You want your four cards to equal twenty-three, called a Pure Sabacc. You can call the hand, or make everyone show their cards, at any time. Whoever has the highest score wins."

"You won the Falcon playing this game?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, so how do I know how much these special cards with the pictures are worth?"

Han reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper with card values written on it. He handed it to Leia who began to quickly study the sheet like her very existence depended on it.

"Now in Sabacc there is a hand, and there can be as many rounds in a hand as you would like before someone calls the cards. Typically you would put a bet down on each round, but since it's just us and our clothes, we'll wager a piece of clothing for every hand."

"That's confusing," she said.

"It won't be when you start losing your clothes. You'll learn real quick what's gonna keep you dressed."

"Not that it matters, you're far too good at this game."

"I'm glad we both agree. Ready to play?"

* * *

a/n: Let the games begin.

Had to do some research on this story to make it accurate. Learned how to play Sabacc, though, and that's always a useless thing to know. Fun, though.

Surprisingly enough it only took me about five minutes to learn how to play the basic game of Sabacc. The website that I mentioned in the first author's note is a bit confusing at first, but if you just start hitting buttons to see the cards you'll eventually understand the scoring factor. And hovering your mouse over the cards tells you card values.

Anyway, this is probably only gonna run two or three chapters long, so enjoy it while it lasts. There is a lot of unfinished fic on my comp that I'll try to work on for your amusement after this is done.

It's a fanfiction sin to read without reviewing.


	2. The Conscience Speaks OR Socks

You're all such beautiful, wonderful people for reading my story. If anyone has questions or suggestions or runs a plot bunny farm, feel free to message me on AIM or yahoo. The contact info is on my author page.

Standard disclaimers apply.

**Care to Wager?** -----

Chapter Two: _The Conscience Speaks_ OR _Socks_

Intuition should have told Leia that playing Sabacc with an avid gambler was a very bad idea, but her better judgment told her that it was just a card game, and no one ever lost anything more than their possessions in a card game. Of course, being a dignitary had its downfalls, and the lack of experience with many social imperfections, such as gambling, left her with nothing more to go on than a long, white dress, the necklace he bought for their second wedding anniversary, and a pair of socks. It was basically everything she had left to wager.

The little voice in the back off her mind kept telling her that possessions weren't the only thing on the line, her dignity was laid right out on the table as well.

Staring at her cards, she could almost see her conscience dancing its way across the nine of staves. It spoke to her, "This isn't going to end well!"

"Stop it," she scolded.

"If that's your brother you're talking to then I'm going downstairs to kick his ass," Han frowned. "This is _our_ time."

Leia blushed a little, embarrassed that she had been caught talking to herself. "You couldn't kick his ass if you tried."

Han laid his cards down on the table and began to stand. Leia grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him back down to the floor.

"You aren't going anywhere without your pants," she chided.

"Hey, winning my pants doesn't give you the right to be cocky, it just means that I'm letting you win."

Leia fingered the 'Balance' card, a card worth negative eleven points. Altogether her hand of four cards was worth 12 points, hardly enough points to guarantee a win. She kept the nine of staves and discarded the other three cards, pulling three fresh ones from the stack.

Han watched the concentration on Leia's face. He was shocked that she had picked up on the game so quickly. In truth she had beat him into the ground with her Pure Sabacc win, and as an added bonus he had let her choose the article of clothing that she wanted the most.

Of course she wanted his pants, it was the most obvious choice. They had pockets and everything, what self-respecting woman couldn't resist?

"Alright, I call it," Leia said, laying her cards on the table. The nine of staves, three of coins, the Idiot, and the six of sabres. Altogether a hand worth eighteen points.

Han grumbled and laid out his negative two point hand on the table.

"What was that?" Leia asked with a grin.

"It's because I let you win, sweetheart. It's always because I let you win."

"I was under the impression that this was a game of chance," she said smugly. "Give me your sock."

"Start undressing now," Han warned as he pulled at the sock, "because I'm not gonna go easy on you anymore."

"Oh I'm shaking," Leia mocked.

Han tossed the sock across the table where Leia made a show of setting it on top of her growing pile of clothing. Of course, Han was not without victory, and he set a heavy hand on top of his winnings, which included Leia's earrings, a long-sleeved jacket, and his favorite prize: her underwear.

Han shuffled the cards and dealt out new hands. He stared at the numbers and pictures on his cards, wondering if he should just call the hand right then, or if stringing Leia along was worth the wait just to see her squirm. He could tell by the way she was biting her lip that she didn't have a good hand.

If she wanted to be ruthless, he could play her game.

"I'll call it now and save myself the trouble of this hand," he said arrogantly. He laid his cards on the table and Leia's mouth opened as if to say something.

"Sock please," he requested.

Leia dropped her cards face down in the discard pile and lifted her foot to pull off the called for garment. She threw it in his face, determined not to let him enjoy his win too much.

He dealt new cards and glanced at them with grim satisfaction again. Leia tossed two of her cards out into the discard pile, accepting two new cards that seemed to please her much more.

"Well, shall we go another round or would you like to call it now?"

Han picked one card out of his hand and pitched it into the discard pile, favoring a new card much more. Satisfied, he laid his cards out for Leia's inspection. Frowning, she added up his score of twenty-two, which beat her own sum by three points. It was close, but not good enough.

Silently she began peeling off her other sock.

"I always thought you had nice feet," he commented.

"You never paid attention to my feet."

"Well I am now," he grinned. "You have nice feet."

"Shut up, laser brain."

She threw the sock at his chest and waited for the next hand, hoping that it played more to her favor than his. After all, she couldn't let her conscience be right all the time. Especially not a Jedi conscience.

Leia surveyed herself while Han shuffled the cards. She was seriously lacking in things left to wager. She had a necklace and a dress. He had his shirt and his left sock.

"Well, Captain, it looks like this game is just about over."

"Double or nothing?"

"I'm game," she nodded.

Han grinned maliciously.

* * *

a/n: Short and sweet, just the way I prefer to write them. Still one more chapter to go. I've been working on a ton of other stories for this fandom, I'm just trying to do five hundred things at a time. They'll get done one of these days, hopefully sometime soon. Anyway, the next chapter is coming soon. Be patient.

It's a fanfiction sin to read without reviewing.

Now to my reviewers, a big thanks: **kilafer**, **vegemite** (I've always got another trick up my sleeve…), **Turtle Sister** (of course there was more! And you have the reviewer's right to complain because you left a review. Besides, I delivered, didn't I?), **Pitdroid** (Thanks!), **LVB** (I aim to impress haha), **Jillie Rose**, **GreatOne** (You're so dirty! But I like it…), **Ratiocinate**, **From-Heaven2Earth** (It wouldn't be half as fun if I wasn't evil), **CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88**, **Charli Fenwick** (Hail Mary's… ahahahahahaha), **dm1** (I'm always doing something crazy for the sake of fanfiction), **HopelessRomantic225**, **Frank and Avery.dont ask**, **mikelover **(Thanks! I go for the best characterization I can without being too cliché)

Mwah! Until next chapter, my little minions…


	3. Double or Nothing

_A/N: If anyone out there wants something to read that insanely amazing and COOL then go do a search for LVB. Her stories are amazing. And if I like them then they've gotta be good. _

_That's not me being conceited, that's just fact._

_Anyway, shameless plug time is over._

_LVB, this one is for you, chickie._

Standard disclaimers apply.

Last chapter, kids!

**Care to Wager?** -------

_Chapter Three: Double or Nothing_

The stakes were high on the last hand of cards they had decided to play. Double or nothing with all of the striptease entailments that winning the game implied. Han had no intentions of losing his shirt or his boot. And certainly no intentions of losing them at the same time.

Dealing out the last crucial hand of cards, he awaited his fate.

"No good," he heard Leia mutter to herself. She reached out and dealt herself four entirely new cards. Arranging them to her satisfaction, she glanced up at Han.

Han fingered the 'Balance' card, a card worth negative eleven points. He couldn't decide if it was worth the risk to try for a regular Sabacc worth negative twenty-three points, or hope for higher cards that the Balance card would bring down. Holding onto it, he took three new cards from the pile.

The Mistress of Flasks, worth thirteen points, was the first to stare back at him. Two points in the hand so far. The Ace of Sabres, worth fifteen points, stared back at him next. There was seventeen points. Pushing the cards over in his hand, he hoped for a low card, maybe a two or a five. A six would make a Pure Sabacc, but luck wasn't with him. He cursed at the Commander of Coins, worth twelve points. It took him too far over the limit.

Leia studied her own cards, pleased that she had been given a good hand. Of course, an eighteen didn't guarantee her a win, it just made the chances much better.

She watched Han take his cards from the draw pile twice before meeting her eyes. There was a tense moment before she laid her hand on the table and waited for the results.

"That's good," Han smiled broadly.

"But not good enough," she finished.

"Twenty one to win," he sighed happily.

The glare that formed on his wife's face was the most endearing thing that he had seen all afternoon. Her sharp eyes promised punishment and reward both at the same time. Han couldn't help the wicked grin that spread across his face.

"You're gonna regret this later," Leia spat as she stood in front of her over-exuberant husband.

"Oh I'm sure I will," he agreed. "To the fullest extent."

Pushing down her pride, she reached for the hem of her dress, pulling it over her head and holding it loosely in her hand. Naked, she stood still glaring at Han and the deck of cards that was scattered over the table.

"Han, this is completely demoralizing," she ground out. "You're making me feel like a fool."

"And you're making me feel like a dirty old man. Come here and let me live up to that stereotype."

Han reached his hands out to Leia, beckoning her into his embrace, but she'd only taken a half step towards him when the front door slid open. The sound of metal feet against the wooden entryway caught them by surprise. Threepio audibly jumped, his parts clanking together, as he surveyed the scene before him.

"Your Highness!" he nearly shouted.

Leia was startled back into reality and clutched the dress in her hand over her body. She held it tightly to her chest.

"Threepio, what are you doing here?" she screeched. "Get out!"

"Yes, your Highness, I was just coming to deliver a message from Master Luke, but it seems that I am too late," he rambled as he turned around back the way he came.

"Too late for what?" Leia asked.

Threepio shuffled around. "Master Luke wanted me to inform you that Captain Solo's Sabacc deck is rigged."

"What?" Han yelped. "I don't cheat! Leia, I don't cheat!"

Leia glared over at Han.

"Master Luke also wanted me to inform you that he took the Sabacc deck you were carrying with you on the elevator and switched it with one that he was carrying in his pocket."

"How did he know-"

"Might I remind you that Master Luke is a Jedi," Threepio said haughtily. "Good afternoon to you both."

"Sweetheart, I didn't know," Han pleaded. "Really, I didn't know…"

Leia stood still in the middle of the room with her dress still clutched tightly to her chest. She had a thoughtful look on her face that Han didn't fully understand, but that didn't stop him from trying to bring her back to the current situation.

"Leia," he called. "You just gonna leave me hanging?"

"Hmm? Oh, no," she grinned. "I've got special plans for you."

"Now that's what I like to hear."

"Before that, I need you to run and catch Threepio before he gets back to Luke. Tell him he needs to deliver another message first."

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

"Master Luke!"

Luke turned his head at the sound of a familiar voice calling his name. Earlier he, Wedge Antilles, and some of the other guys from the Rogue Squadron had all been drinking and had sent Threepio up to disrupt Han and Leia's card game and wreak a little bit of havoc on their evening. By Threepio's anxious gait it seemed that his plan had worked.

"Well, how'd it go?" Wedge asked, choking down another shot of Corellian whisky.

"Had I known what exactly I was walking into, I never would have agreed to run the errand in the first place," Threepio said indignantly.

There was a round of laughter from the guys.

"Did you give 'em the message?" Luke slurred.

"Yes, and Her Royal Highness seemed quite displeased."

"Then the plan wor-" Luke stopped mid-sentence as Leia's voice rang out loud, clear, and vengefully in his head.

_I'm glad that you think it's funny to send Threepio up here intentionally at the most inappropriate of times, but don't you for a second think that you're going to get away with it._

Luke grinned at the vicious tone of his sister's voice.

_Since you interrupted my evening, I'm going to interrupt yours._

Luke's grin faltered somewhat.

"What's going on?" one of the guys asked.

The apartment doorbell chime sounded and Luke stood up to answer the call.

"Mon Mothma! What a surprise."

"Indeed it is," she said, looking past Luke to the rest of the guys. "Threepio said you had some questions about the New Republic policy on pilots and acceptable off-duty social behavior. I see that you didn't read the handbook."

"We may have missed that," Wedge said grimly, hiding the bottle of whisky behind his back.

_Leia, that was dirty_, he spat.

_I know_, came the self-satisfied reply.

* * *

a/n: That's it! Hope you enjoyed my little story. There are more ramblings and things on my author page if you wanna check them out. Always something good there to read, and not just in the Star Wars fandom, I do LOTR, Inuyasha, and various X-Men fandoms as well.

It's a fanfiction sin to read without reviewing.

Now to my minions: **CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88**(It's people like you that make me want to quit my job and do nothing but write fanfiction all day), **quillon** (So glad that you think that much of my fic that you'd jump fandoms to check out my other stuff!), **GreatOne**, **dm1**, **Jill E Bean** (I should look on Ebay for a Sabacc deck), **HopelessRomantic225**, **kilafer**, **CowgirlBlondie** (did it end how you thought?), **Pitdroid** (You just might be psychic), **LVB** (See what I did for you? I plugged your fic! And the mind trick worked), **peach** (Han won, haha. And he lost his pants when Leia got a Pure Sabacc), **trmbmgrl**, **REV042175**, **Jillie Rose** (It's all about the sexual tension (though ff.n dun let you write about the release of it hahaha)).

Thanks thanks thanks!


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